


You and I

by Lauriekits



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Internalised Homophobia, M/M, Post canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24308011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauriekits/pseuds/Lauriekits
Summary: A Pro-Duelist's life is never too busy for Manjoume Thunder, but it's making his boyfriend feel insecure.
Relationships: Manjoume Jun | Chazz Princeton/Misawa Daichi | Bastion Misawa
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! I promise to update the other fics I started *looks at hand* 1-2 years ago, but this idea just popped into my head and I finally have inspiration to write again! Now, this is set post-canon where Misawa returns from the other dimension and is dating Manjoume! I haven't written anything that wasn't an essay for a very long time, so if anyone has any tips or tricks for writing a story (I'm old-fashioned and not poetic for example), please let me know! I hope you enjoy this! Apologies for the lack of introduction, I only want this to have a few chapters so I didn't want to go overboard there!

“Oh, yes, of course!...No, not exactly. Oh, but I…,”

There he goes again. Jun Manjoume, Pro-Duelist, chatting away in a television interview. He had just finished a tournament duel, but managed to get caught immediately by the reporter. This happened often, but it didn’t bug the young duelist too much. This was his career after all. Dueling, fame and enjoying it!

However, it did leave someone out of the picture. His boyfriend, Daichi Misawa.

Daichi stood against a nearby wall, arms folded as he waited for his beloved to finish his interview. He didn’t mind the wait, it was nice to look over at Manjoume Thunder with loving eyes. He left a frown on his face however, to not raise any suspicion. Nobody but the couple’s closest friends knew of their relationship, due to a safety precaution. And while Daichi understood and respected Jun’s wishes, he felt a bit uneasy being left out. Not being included was a recurring cruel joke in Daichi’s teenage years, but he tried to not let his emotions get to him again now that he had a better life now.

As Jun (finally) finished his interview, he casually walked over to Daichu, who watched has he kept his uninterested expression.

“Hey,” greeted Jun with his iconic smirk as he approached his partner.

“Hello,” Daichi responded back, looking down at the duelist's face. Their heights were quite similar, but Daichi had the upper hand in that department.

“We should head back to the hotel,” suggested Jun, folding his arms as he looked at the leaving television crew from earlier. “Before anyone else wants to ask my life story.”

“Oh?” Daichi raised a brow. ”I thought you liked the attention.”

“Of course I do, but I haven’t eaten since this morning, and it’s getting late.”

Daichi's expression changed from uninteresting to worry, softening his voice slightly. “Seriously? You didn’t eat the lunch I made you?”

“…You made me lunch?”

“Yes, I snuck it in your bag before you went to see your manager!”

“…I didn’t notice it.”

“Well, eat it now then. Please? How did you duel on an empty stomach…?”

Jun smirked as he reached for his backpack, searching for this apparent ‘special lunch’. “Heh, the success of crushing my opponent’s in a duel is enough to satisfy Manjoume Thunder…”

“Oh, how dramatic,” Daichi smiled, knowing that no one was around to stare. He watched as Jun found the lunch, which he had opened to reveal a lovely batch of food assorted into cute love-hearts.

Jun sighed as he closed the lunchbox, rolling his eyes. “This isn’t really your style, Daichi,” he whispered, looking around to make sure that yes, they were alone.

“First of all, I’m dating you. Second of all, it’s _your_ style; cute.”

Jun blushed as he made a small growl, furrowing his brows. “I-I am not cute…! And don’t say shit like that in public!”

Daichi chuckled softly, not wanting to argue. “Okay, let’s head to our room then. But please, eat.”

…

Upon arrival to the hotel room, which the tournament duelists participated in offered free with a plus one, Jun took his last bite of fried shrimp, placing the lunchbox on a nearby table. As Daichi closed the door, Jun finished his meal and spoke up.

“Daichi, that was so good, what the hell!”

“Oh, thank you, Jun…” Daichi blushed as he smiled happily.

“I haven’t had fried shrimp in so long...And you supplied the sauces that you made! You really brought those all the way here?” By this point, Jun had already wrapped his arms around Daichi’s waist, taking this opportunity to be alone with his boyfriend.

“You know how much I like to cook…” Daichi copied his boyfriend's movements, only to pull him closer. “Oh, but…There was _one_ secret ingredient…”

“Hm?" Jun tilted his head, smiling as he gazed upon his partner’s face. “And what was that?”

“Love, of course.”

Jun blinked for a moment, before groaning as he attempted to push Daichi away in response to the corny comment. “Oh my God, seriously?!” he replied, trying to escape the other man’s clutches. “That’s so lame!”

“It is not…,” Daichi’s strength kept the two together, pulling his love even closer. “You’re a sucker for anything romance, don’t act like you despise it now.”

Jun chuckled, ending his struggle to place his arms around Daichi’s shoulders. It’s true, he really did love romance, one of the many things that pushed his desire for admiration. “You’re so lame…,” His face drew closer to Daichi’s, who sighed as he began to close his eyes…

“Bro Manjoume! My speedo senses are tingling!” randomly shouted a duel spirit, who appeared out of thin air. Both boys opened their eyes due the spirit's sudden words, which were now focused on the unsettling being known as Ojama Yellow. A reminder that they're not truly alone if their decks are around.

“Your… _what?”_ hissed an angry Jun, who was still holding onto his boyfriend.

Ojama Yellow pointed towards the door close-by. “Someone’s coming! Someone’s coming!”

“Ah, shit,” Jun responded as he let go of his boyfriend, removing the other’s arms away from him. “Daichi, quick. Go do something so no one can bother you.”

Daichi sighed and nodded. He had hoped he could finally get some quality time with his beloved, but knew that dating a celebrity had it’s cons.

Jun brushed himself off and quickly tidied his hair, expecting yet another interview to occur. “Oh, the life of being loved…” he muttered, smiling. As he opened the door, he was, in fact, greeted with someone wanting an interview, so Jun left the room and went back to his pro-life world, separated from his love life.

Daichi sat down on the hotel’s lounge as he took out one of his decks. His trusted "H20" deck, which contained a very special card, Hydrogeddon. The spirit of the card popped out in a smaller form than the dueling hologram depicted, which Daichi found extra special about her. Not only that, she could speak human, due to her bond with the deck owner. Due to Daichi’s time spent in the Duel Spirit world, he had developed the connection to Duel Spirits that select duelists have, and created a bond with Hydrogeddon or “Hydro” for short.

“Daichi-kun, rowr?” spoke the Dinosaur Duel Spirit as she floated above to be face-to-face with her dueling partner. “Why so glum, rowr?”

“I’m not glum, Hydrogeddon,” Daichi answered. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“You’re a terrible liar, rowr…”

“…Thanks for the honesty,” he sighed, looking at the door where Jun exited. “I’m just not happy with how much of a big deal my relationship is with Jun.”

“Is it not a big deal, rowr? Isn’t love always big?”

“I mean…With how he goes into major lengths to keep our love a secret.” Daichi wasn’t so sure how to convey his worries to a Duel Spirit, would she understand? “I said I’d support him in keeping our relationship hidden from the press, but even then, it took so long for him to finally tell our old classmates. The…” Daichi sighed. “The longer this secrecy is kept up, the more I believe that Jun doesn’t desire my presence at all.”

“That’s a bit silly, don’t you think, rowr?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Manjoume-san is probably trying to protect you! I heard famous duelists can get into sticky situations, perhaps he wants to avoid your involvement in anything dangerous, rowr?”

“Jun is a good person, I doubt he’s get into anything life-risking…intentionally.” Daichi thought back to the Duel Academia years, and how the school faced several severe threats. But things were different now. “I initially agreed on the secrecy because privacy is important, but look at anyone on television with a partner, and they’ll be more than happy to show off the fact that yes, they are in love!”

“…You’re feeling left out, rowr,” Hydrogeddon stated, realising the intellect’s worries.

“…Indeed,” the man admitted. “Despite my great strengths today, my old teenage anxieties creep back to me.” Daichi had somewhat of an inferiority complex during his years at high school, where all and any attention towards him dropped, making the once-Ra Yellow devastated with loneliness. Peer recognition was what he desired, and after a breakthrough in his true goals in life, Daichi followed his new dreams. But due to his long-going treatment at Duel Academia, it’s still a worry that upsets him to this day.

“Rowr, rowr…” Hydrogeddon hummed, saddened by her deck holder. “B-But again, I’m sure Manjoume-san is just trying to protect you, Daichi-kun!”

“It’s a plausible theory, Hydro,” Daichi smiled softly in response to his Duel Spirit’s encouragement. “I thank you for your valuable input.”

“Rowr!” Hydrogeddon smiled, making circles around Daichi, causing the both of them to cheer up.

Daichi’s worries lessened slightly, but as he looked towards the hotel room’s door, he wondered what Jun thought of the two’s relationship together.


	2. Chapter 2

While Jun exited the hotel room earlier, he was greeted by a young woman with just a mobile phone and notepad plus pen. The man initially thought it was a fan at first, but before he could open his mouth, the woman before him spoke.

“Hi Hi, I’m a reporter and I wish to ask questions for the fantastic Manjoume Thunder?"

The Pro Duelist smiled, folding his arms. “Let me guess; You were just in the neighbourhood and just happened to find me?” Sometimes reporters would go to great lengths just to find a celebrity, and Manjoume Thunder’s experience was no different. “…You don’t have a camera.”

“Your manager sent me,” the woman lied in full confidence. “And no camera, I hope that’s alright, Manjoume-san!” answered the young lady. “I’m from an independent group!”

“Independent…?” before Jun could question the lady’s reporting origin, she began to spout out several queries for him.

“So, how are you feeling about tomorrow’s duels? Who do you wish to fight most in this tournament? Do you detest any duelists? Is your hair naturally that spiky? Do your support your brother’s political views? What was your most embarrassing moment back at Duel Academia?”

“H-Hey, wait, one question at a time!” Jun waved his hands to try and slow the girl down, who was talking faster than a speeding bullet. This was the woman’s plan however, to confuse the Pro into accidentally admitting anything gossip-worthy.

“Are you lonely? Are you single? Have you dated before? Are you seeing someone?” the woman questioned.

“I’m not l-…Wait, what?”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“O-Oh, uh, no.”

“Is that stutter of yours a hint of a maybe…?”

“What? I said no!” Ah, shit.

The lady began to scribble on her notepad, tempted to smirk at her success. “Has girlfriend, too embarrassed to admit it? Perhaps she’s ugly?”

Jun growled and stomped his foot in one spot. “Hey! You’re mixing my words!” He was tempted to rip the lady’s notepad out of her hands, but knew that would mean bad publicity, and everyone had a mobile phone handy for such a situation.

Instead, he grabbed his own phone and sent hidden texts within his coat, looking back and forth as he conversed with the interviewer.

“Miss, I appreciate your time with wanting to interview me, but your lack of professionalism is making me believe you’re not a reporter at all.”

“Oh, don’t be silly! I told you I’m from an independent group, we do things a bit differently!”

“By asking about my non-existent love life?”

“Aha! So his claims to keep his lover a secret continues…”

“Hey! Why are you so insistent that I’m dating someone…!”

Jun froze as soon as he saw, with widened eyes, the woman’s phone in her hand, recording words she wanted to hear for her own gossip. The lady smirked and ran off without a word, happy with her ‘interview’. That notepad of hers was a distraction! The Pro-Duelist shook his head to focus on chasing after the woman, but she was quick and took the elevator which quickly closed it’s doors. Jun growled and went for the stairs to catch up, but accidentally tripped over his own foot, causing a painful fall.

“Whhwhwagaaa..!” Jun tumbled down several steps before finally reaching a stop, landing face flat. “Mgh…that woman….!” Before he could begin to get up himself, Jun was helped up by Daichi, appearing just in time.

“Jun! Are you alright?!”

“Ugh…Does it look like I’m alright, Daichi?!” growled Jun, his mood now foul by the recent event.

“S-Sorry…” Daichi apologised, now holding the other in his arms. “When I got your text I only managed to just spot you running in the distance. What happened?” As he asked, the taller man caressed his boyfriend’s cheek softly, wanting to kiss him ever so softly to make him feel better. However, he was prevented from doing so.

“Put me down!” Jun yelled, flailing to try and break free from Daichi’s hold.

“Alright, alright…!” Daichi gently placed Jun on his feet, who took a step forward only to collapse again.

“Shit!”

“Jun!” He knelt down to pick Jun up again, only to be pushed away again. “Jun, come on. You look seriously hurt, let me take you upstairs and-“

“Are you a dumbass?” Jun tilted his head and gave a certain stare to Daichi that made him froze. “We are in public, and that…lady is off with my words ready to use them for gossip! I need to catch her!”

Daichi however, was more concerned for his beloved's safety. “Jun, sweetheart, you’re hurt. Do you want me to g-…”

“What the fuck did I just say?!”

Daichi paused himself, looking at his boyfriend. He closed his eyes and took a breath, unhappy with Jun’s mood.“…There is literally no one around us, Jun. If anything is going to grab people’s attention, it would be your own raised voice.”

Jun looked down at the floor below him, clenching an angry fist. “She kept….asking questions about my love life. I…didn’t admit anything, but she’s going to take her recording, and edit it…You know, spread lies. Gossip, the worst type of fame.”

Daichi sighed as he reopened his eyes, relaxing his mood. He wanted to place a reassuring hand onto the other, but didn’t want to risk another explosion of anger. He didn’t see the girl, so there was no point in chasing after her.

“I’m…sure it’ll be fine,” The intellect looked at Jun, still knelt down to his height. “Did she say who she represented?”

“No, but she’s probably going to post it on social media. Or sell it to a broadcasting corporation…Probably a stalker…”

“I’m sorry Jun, I-“

“Save it,” Jun slowly rose up, regaining his balance as his small rest eased the pain. “It’s not like you can do anything.”

Daichi furrJun refused the idea. “Too risky.”

…

It was dinner time, and despite the soured moods, Daichi managed to create a lovely meal for the two. He knew his former classmate had problems with anger, and while not amused by his treatment earlier, Daichi wanted to attempt a better atmosphere for the both of them.

“…You know room service is a thing, right?” Jun spoke in response to seeing his meal placed before him.

Daichi made a disgruntled noise, not even bothering to respond to such a comment. So much for the attempt. As he placed his meal down and sat, Daichi looked over to his boyfriend, who with hands together, stating that he humbly accepted his meal before digging in. Despite this common courtesy, Jun was still noticeably bothered by earlier events, so Daichi gave him some space to enjoy his meal. After only a few bites though, the Pro-Duelist just stared at his food, poking at it. Daichi decided it was time to ask questions.

“Jun, why don’t you call your manager to sort things out?”

“…I did.”

“…And the result?”

“And she said tracking down just one anonymous person for a snippet of audio has too many problems.”

“Hmm…”

“And I agree,” Jun looked up at the other, who had also stopped eating his food. “All I can do is deny whatever that woman is going to say. But the public always believe in tabloids. No matter how stupid it sounds. Unless it’s about Seto Kaiba, but I’m not Kaiba.”

“What…exactly did you say to that woman?”

“…I basically said I’m not dating anyone. But it’s the way I said it; I know she’s going to twist them up.”

“…To make it sound like you are in a relationship?”

“Yeah.”

“…Well, it wouldn’t be gossip if it’s true.”

The spiky-haired male stabbed his food in frustration, raising his voice. “But I don’t want the public to know it’s true! Okay?!”

“Jun…” spoke a startled Daichi, who instinctively dropped his own utensils at the sudden shout.

“You think this won’t last? Everyone out there, even… _fans_...are merciless, okay?”

“I understand your desire of privacy..." Daichi sighed. "But it really would not affect me. How would it affect you? Really? As far as I’m concerned, fans are supportive of their idol’s positive choices.”

That comment made Jun’s eyes twitch, baffled at the other man’s words. “…Has your prolonged time in that other dimension turned your brain into mush, Daichi?! Wake up and realise what world we’re in!”

“Are you trying to talk dumb to me?”

“I might as well, because I _thought_ you were smart. I guess not even your scientific, calculating mind can realise that things such as an audio recording can break my career!”

Daichi blinked, not believing at his boyfriend’s choice of words. However, he quickly shook them off, only wanting this argument to end already. “You can always rise from those ashes, though! Jun! Every time you have faced a hardship, you have bounced back! Is that not part of your Manjoume Thunder legacy?”

“Oh come on! You weren’t even there for most of it!”

“No, because I was facing my own problems! But I’ve still witnessed your teenage hardships! Since when is something like a romantic relationship ever a bother to you now? Why does it matter? You literally didn’t care what people thought whenever you displayed your affections for Asuka Tenjoin!”

“Because she was a girl!” Jun yelled louder, gritting his teeth afterwards. His anger towards the other not comprehending the severity of his situation caused a slam against the table. His words and actions caused Daichi to become startled once more, only to blink and raise a brow in confusion.

“….Excuse me?”

“Asuka was a girl. Connected the dots yet, _genius_? Figured out the formula??”

Daichi was confused and scared. Who wouldn’t be, in a situation like this? Was his fears coming into play? Was Jun unhappy with their relationship? Why would gender be such a problem...?

“…You have a problem…with me being male?”

“In this situation, I guess so, yeah!”

“...I-I see.” Daichi looked away, still completely unsure of what Jun meant. After a heavy sigh, he continued the conversation. “…What am I to you, Jun?”

“What?” Jun asked as he looked at the other, still notably moody.

“Am I just…your pity date?" Daichi returned his gaze, with a mixed expression of frustration and fear. "Did you just decide to feel sorry for my break-up with Tania? Are you disgusted by the fact that I, a man, love you, another man?”

“Daichi, that’s not what I’m-“

“Because it sure sounds like it!” Daichi’s frustrations didn’t allow for any listening, only thoughts spoken out aloud. “This isn’t how you should end a relationship, Jun. It’s rather unorthodox…” Daichi’s voice grew weaker, looking away from Jun once more. He stood from his chair and quickly grabbed his coat nearby, heading towards the door. He didn't know where he was going, but Daichi needed to leave before any more unfortunate emotions took things further.

“What? Hey!" Jun got up, confused by Daichi's actions. His words weren't making any sense to the Pro Duelist, and he wasn't even given a chance to answer them. "Daichi, I’m not breaking up with y-Hey, where are you going?? Daichi!”

“It’s none of your concern, Jun," Daichi replied weakly, now exiting the hotel room. "Goodnight.”

And with a slam of the door, the uneasy man walked off quickly, taking breathes as he searched for anywhere that wasn't the hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm worried that Manjoume's anger seems a bit off, but I hope the next chapter explains things well enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Jun didn’t leave the hotel room at first. He stood there, blinking, trying to comprehend what just happened. Sure, he and Daichi had their quarrels before, but none that would threaten their relationship together. He remained mad however, and vented his anger by clenching his fists. He almost punched the hotel door, only to quickly remind himself that this was not his own home.

“B-Bro Manjoume…?” out emerged Ojama Yellow, who could sense his card owner’s emotions. “What happened?”

“None of your business, Ojama Yellow,” replied Jun, gritting his teeth. “Daichi just decided to become a dumbass, that’s all.”

“Huh, I thought he was The Smart One…”

“Hey, are you comparing him to me? You saying I’m not smart?!”

Ojama Yellow floated around Jun’s head, finding a nice resting place in the duelist’s hair. “Not at all, Bro!” Despite being a constant annoyance to Jun, Yellow deeply cared for his dueling partner, only wanting what’s best for his family. “Not a fan of this angry aura around us, though…”

“Well, deal with it! And get out of my hair!” Jun shook his hands at the top of his head, making Yellow float down to reach his face.

“I know what’ll cheer you up, Bro! Hey, Green! Black!”

Jun folded his arms and rolled his eyes upon hearing those names. “Oh no.”

Appearing from Jun’s deck appeared the other two Ojama Brothers, Ojama Green and Ojama Green. “We’re here!” they exclaimed in unison, showing off their favourite features.

“Our favourite couple had a fight, and we gotta help out!”

“Hey, can you like…not squeal out everything that happens in my life, you grotesque little….” Jun sighed as he unclenched his teeth. He had a long day of dueling and interviews, and his anger was only making him exhausted. He had also barely eaten, with only having a two meals, including the lunch Daichi had made for him. Jun looked over at the barely-touched dinners that were also made by Daichi, and sat back down to the dinner table, with the Ojamas following him.

“Bro Manjoume…?”

“How can he be so stupid…” spoke Jun as began to poke his food again. “Jumping to conclusions like that, and not even realising how risky our relationship is…”

The Ojamas just floated, eager to listen in on their deck owner’s vents.

“Seriously, how can he not know that the world is hard enough when you’re in a same-sex relationship? If word got out, my reputation would plummet…”

“That’s a silly little thing to worry over though,” Ojama Green commented, with his fellow brothers nodding in agreement. “Your reputation has only gotten stronger over the years.”

“When you found me,” spoke Yellow. “You became a King and developed friendships!”

“When you found Green and I,” it was Black’s turn to comment. “You won your family’s respect in a winning duel.”

“And remember OjaManjoume?” Yellow commented, which only resulted in a small growl from Jun, despite the life-changing events that kick started his career.

“I understand what you’re getting at, Ojamas,” Jun sighed as he finally began to eat. “You don’t need to remind me of my accomplishments, or the fact that I’m stuck with you gremlins to stand the test of time! I know who I am.”

“Then, Bro Manjoume, why get so worked up over being in love _now?”_

“You…wouldn’t understand.” Jun had now began talking with his mouth full, further calming himself with Daichi’s cooking. “You Ojamas don’t have to deal with the pain inside, knowing that you’re attracted to both men and women. It’s like my guts are twisted with guilt, and how I’m not allowed to like both at all, because it feels immoral.”

“You’re right, Bro Manjoume,” hummed Yellow. “We don’t understand that pain at all. Duel Spirits have no judgement among who they like. Men loving men…”

“Women loving women couple…”

“Men loving women and vice versa couple…”

“Love is Love! We see no difference!”

Jun looked at the Ojama Brothers and made a noise of amusement, giving only the smallest of smiles, only to resume his meal. “I wish humans had it simple like that…” a rare moment of envying the Ojamas.

“Does Misawa know you have struggles like that?”

“….No. He doesn’t. He thinks I’m trying to break up with him!”

“What!! Then you gotta go get him back!”

“Pfft, he didn’t even attempt to listen to me before! What says he will now?”

“Because he loves you, Bro Manjoume.”

Looking at his now-empty plate, Jun placed his fork down. Hearing his Duel Spirit's words, the Pro began to think about how he found Daichi washed up on Duel Academia’s shore during a nostalgic visit, and how he helped the intellect graduate from the Academia and get into contact with his peers. How they grew closer as acquaintances to rivals, friends to lovers. During his school years, their interactions were limited, but they still had respect for each other. To think they were dating now…

“Heh, he really does, doesn’t he?” Jun mumbled as he stood up to grab Daichi’s unfinished meal to cover up and place in the hotel’s mini-fridge. After that, he left the hotel room, locked it, and headed outside. He grabbed his cell phone and sent a text to Daichi, hoping to be given his destination, but after a few minutes of waiting, Jun grew impatient.

“Fine, I’ll look around and just _hope_ to find him, I guess.”

Luckily, Daichi wasn’t too far behind, resting on a park bench just twenty minutes away from the hotel. He had calmed down by now, but still felt uneasy over his anxiety. He still took some breaths, holding onto his arms to relax. The intellect began to think that yes, he might’ve jumped to conclusions and got the wrong idea, but his anxiety told him otherwise. That yes, he will be alone, not worth paying any attention to. Abandoned. Forgotten...

His thoughts were interrupted however, when an unexpected guest sat down right next to him.

“Hey,” greeted Jun as he made himself comfortable, only glancing at Daichi for a split second.

Daichi stared at him for a moment, before folding his arms and looking away. “What, are you not scared that someone is going to catch us?” he asked, annoyed. “A fellow male, such as yourself? Incompatible beings as of now, correct?”

Jun fell silent for a few moments, before speaking up again. “I have to tell you something.”

Daichi just glanced over, waiting for the other to continue. He was emotionally preparing himself for the worst.

“I…" This wasn't going to be easy to explain for Jun, worried that he was going to sound ridiculous. "I...I have, struggles with my orientation,” Jun spoke softly, ensuring a private conversation. “For many years now, I’ve both accepted and become disgusted with how I am attracted to both men and women, because in the eyes of others, being gay or bisexual is immoral.”

 _Oh._ Daichi didn't expect something like this. Still, he continued to watch with raised brows, listening. Curious.

“I’m an adult now, and I am proud of how far I’ve come with my early years of my dueling life to now. How much I’ve changed for the better. How strong I’ve become. But even to this day, my guts tell me that I’m wrong somehow, that I’m a terrible being for being in love with a guy. It sounds kind of ridiculous saying it now, considering we’ve been dating for a while, but the stigma around same-sex relationships really takes a toll on you when you’re _still_ trying to accept yourself. And your family doesn't agree with your lifestyle choices. They also wanted to keep it a secret..."

“…I think I understand where you’re coming from,” Daichi looked in front of him, seeing the park inhabited by couples strolling by. The park was so peaceful with happy couples, all being a man and woman dating...something Daichi would never take notice of beforehand. “I use to think that romance was just an illogical way of life, something that didn’t matter in my world of science and statistics. Then I fell for Tania, but initially...that was because no one had ever displayed such affection for me before.” Daichi began to fiddle with his fingers, looking down on them. “When we got back together in the other dimension, we both thought we knew what we wanted. I still harboured feelings for Tania after all this time, and she was fond of me, but realised she preferred women. Luckily, we’re still friends, but I think I’ve dragged on about Tania too much for now.”

Jun looked at Daichi, now paying full attention to him. Daichi continued. “Over my school years I realise that I did indeed crush on boys too. But it was different from how I felt with Tania.”

“It didn’t hit you that they were crushes, huh?” Jun asked, adjusting his position to feel closer to Daichi.

“It felt strange, yes…I would feel warm with emotions, but it still didn’t feel…correct.” Daichi sighed and turned his head to finally meet his boyfriend’s eyes. “I see now. You were worried about how the world would treat you over your bisexuality, but also your internalised stigma over your orientation grew stronger. You wanted to protect yourself.”

“Pretty much…I was shocked you couldn’t figure it out earlier.”

Sighing again, Daichi smiled. “As intelligent as I am, my anxieties can best me. My own personal experiences with loneliness causes fear to come into play, but I admit I was being quite absurd. I figured you wanted protection, but only at the theory that you didn't think I was good enough for your world, perhaps embarrassed by me. Though to be honest, you weren’t being clear with your own words.”

“Yeah, I do that when I'm pissed sometimes…” Jun smile, feeling more at ease with the other. "But don't fret, Daichi. A privilege of dating Manjoume Thunder is that you get to see his secret side; The side where he truly cares about the ones he loves." It wasn't a fact that he would admit to just anyone, due to his desired reputation of being snarky and cool, but the Pro-Duelist knew how important love was in his life, and didn't want to let that go. "Besides, Daichi...you are my world."

This made Daichi gasp and blush even more, desperately wanting to reach out for Jun’s hand, but held himself back, considering the environment. Jun noticed this, and instead reached for his boyfriend’s.

“Hey," spoke Jun. "If anyone judge’s us, I’ll kick their ass in a duel.”

This caused Daichi to chuckle softly, using his free hand to gently caress Jun’s face. “I…apologise for jumping to conclusions earlier, my dear...” Daichi took this opportunity to be sweet with his boyfriend, as there wasn't any problems with secrecy for now.

Jun blushed slightly, pouting at the cute nickname. It's not like he didn't like it, it was just embarrassing to blush in front of others. “S-Sorry for yelling at you earlier, and not being clear with my own concerns. And also, don't call me that.”

Daichi chuckled, reaching for something in his coat as he continued to stare into Jun's eyes.

“And I’m sorry for not telling you that rainfall will occur in approximately three seconds.”

“Wait, _what?”_


	4. Chapter 4

Water began falling from the clouds above, creating a light shower in the park. Before either of them could get however, Daichi quickly whipped out an umbrella that fit comfortably in his jacket, protecting the two from the wet.

“I could tell from the weather pattern and formation of the clouds just by observing the window view earlier that it would rain soon, so I prepared myself before leaving.” Daichi smiled at Jun, who responded with a smile in return.

“Okay, nerd,” Jun shuffled closer Daichi, resting his head onto the scientist’s shoulder. “What, you’re a meteorologist now?”

This caused Daichi to gasp loudly, as public affection was rare for Jun. As the intellect smiled, he leaned his head to gently touch Jun’s as he wrapped his free arm around him. “No, I’m a scientist for other studies.”

“Yeah yeah, Unified Theory of Dueling and looking into other dimensions. You told me back when we became friends.”

Daichi couldn’t help but sigh lovingly at the reminder. “…And now we’re boyfriends…” he whispered, placing a soft kiss on Jun’s face. It was still something Daichi couldn't believe at times, being in a relationship with Jun Manjoume. But, it made him happy nonetheless. 

By this point, Jun didn’t care where they were, or how people would think of the two boys displaying affection for each other. The Pro Duelist positioned himself to tug onto Daichi’s clothes, pulling him in for a deep kiss. Daichi, in return, made a small noise, before kissing back, his free hand now holding the back of his boyfriends head. It was nice, to give a warm, loving kiss to your special other without a care in the world. Especially when you’ve both been so secretive for so long. Daichi was glad that Jun had changed his mind…

Jun released the kiss for a breath of air, his face still close with Daichi’s. The two blushed, looking into each other’s eyes with adoration…They didn’t want to look away. To ensure this, they held into each other’s faces, foreheads touching.

“I use to pity you, back then,” Jun spoke softly. “Washed up on that beach with stinky clothes and untamed hair. That’s why I helped you get back up on your feet, because it felt too familiar to me. And well, it’s not nice to be alone, having your own achievements overlooked.” He smiled. “I would never pity date anyone, that’s not my style. Manjoume Thunder is honest and genuine when it comes to his partner.”

“You’re so sweet, Jun,” Daichi replied, loving gaze refusing to turn away. “I really do appreciate your help, because not only has it helped me reach new heights but also…” Another soft kiss. “You made me fall for you all over again.”

Jun blushed, but his smile ended short as he raised his brow. “Wait, _again?”_

“Mhm. Remember when I mentioned my complicated feelings towards select classmates at Duel Academia?”

“…I was one of them, huh?” Jun felt touched, but quickly resumed the conversation. “Well, I’m not surprised. I am Manjoume Thunder, after all.”

Daichi was unsure if he knew anyone personally that did crush on Jun, but it didn’t matter. "You're saying others crushed on you huh?" He only nodded, thinking of the highly-plausible theory. “They were fools for never telling you, though.”

“By saying that, you’re calling yourself a fool.”

“Perhaps I am…”

As the two continued their kiss, the rainfall became heavy, causing Daichi’s umbrella to be less-effective for protection.

“Hey Daichi,” said Jun as he parted his lips from the scientist. “Let’s head back to the hotel room. I don’t want to get sick.”

Daichi nodded in response. “Yes, let’s. Oh, but could you hold this for a moment?” He offered the umbrella to Jun, who, while confused, granted Daichi’s wish anyway. Carefully, Daichi placed his arms under Jun’s shoulders and legs, lifting him up into a bridal carry.

“Hey, what the-?!”

“Jun, the umbrella.”

Jun blinked before realising his role as the umbrella-holder and positioned it to protect both Daichi and himself. He looked up at Daichi, who was calmly smiling back at him.

“Hey, give a warning next time, Daichi…”

“I apologise, my dear.”

There’s that nickname again. “H-hey, what did I say about calling me that…?” he mumbled, pouting with embarrassment.

“Oh, Jun,” chuckled Daichi as he began the journey back to the hotel. “Are you aware of how cute you truly are?”

The compliment further embarrassed Jun, causing a whine. “Hey, no, shut up…I’m not cute. I’m cool.”

“You are both cute and 'cool'.”

“No…”

“Yes. Its incredible how amazingly adorable you are, my dear. Along with your strong, confident attitude that just accelerates my heart beat…No formula could ever be cracked, even by me, to solve how you are the perfect combination of darling _and_ enchanting, my dear Jun.”

In secret (well, not so secret), Jun truly loved being complimented with cute nicknames. However, they would be spoken when least expected, making the man react with whines, pouts and even anger. He can handle anything that made him sound ‘cool’, but if it was lovey-dovey, he’d turn to mush. And hearing all these things just made him turn completely red.

“Sh-Shut up, Daichi…I’ll move the umbrella.”

“Oh, don’t do that, you’ll get us both wet…”

Exchanges of soft, loving words with threats to get wet continued until they reached the hotel room. Luckily, no one had spotted the two (it was getting late, thank god for key cards), so Daichi held onto Jun until they entered the room.

As he placed Jun down, Daichi noticed the hotel table, now clean of any plates. “Oh, did you eat your dinner?”

“Yeah, I did. It was really nice…Oh, yours is in the fridge. Sorry for uh, you know. Letting it get cold.”

Daichi smiled as he walked towards the refrigerator, grabbing his now-cold meal out. “I was the one who walked out, it’s fine. Luckily this place has a microwave.”

“Yeah well, I’m sorry anyway. Since I started that whole mess…” Jun placed the umbrella in the nearby bathroom to dry out, and began to exchange his current Black Thunder clothes for simple pyjamas. “Wait, Daichi. Every hotel has a microwave.”

Daichi dialed numbers on the device after placing his food in, closing the door and letting it heat up. “Mmm, not every hotel. “

“You’re kidding.”

“You’ve probably only been to high-class resorts, yes? Microwaves aren’t uncommon within tourist households, but many do not contain one. It may come to shock you that cheaper places to stay have only two rooms. One bathroom, the other, well, everything else.”

Jun did seem surprised about this, coming from a rich family, but then he remembered how dilapidated and small the Osiris Red dorms were, which he stayed in for a considerable amount of time. They weren’t up to Manjoume Standards, so he used his money to modify his own Osiris room. “Hm, I guess it’s not abnormal…But I can’t trust anything like a cabin. What if it stinks? What if the showers don’t work? What if there’s no washer or dryer?”

_PING!_

Almost ironically, Daichi’s brows raised with a clever comment, just as the microwave’s timer finished.

“How would that matter to you, Jun?” asked Daichi with a smirk, opening the microwave door to let out the heat. “You very rarely clean your clothes, so good hygiene shouldn’t be a concern.”

“I-I wash my clothes!” Jun responded with a growl, offended at the idea of being unhygienic.

Daichi quickly walked towards the couple’s bedroom where he grabbed some stained clothes. “And what’s this then? You haven’t cleaned these since we arrived, they have food stains!”

Jun walked towards Daichi and snatched his clothes away, looking at them. “…Listen! A Pro Duelist is always busy! Why didn’t you wash them?”

“I’m not your maid, Jun. Though, if you did ask…”

Jun grumbled. “Okay, then can you wash these then?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.”

“Hey, but you said-“

Daichi chuckled as he grabbed his plate and utensils to sit down at the table. “I’m busy eating.”

Jun groaned and walked towards the laundry room. “Fiiiiine….” Once he was done, Jun sat with his boyfriend, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

Daichi waited until he finished eating before speaking up. “Is there a problem, my dear?”

“I’m not stinky.”

“I…never said you were!”

“I’m just saying I’m not!”

“Alright, alright…” Daichi smiled, removing himself from the table to clean his dish. As Daichi carefully cleaned his plate, Jun followed him, leaning back against the kitchen bench. Before he could say anything however, Daichi looked at Jun, taking note of the pyjamas he wore. “You should probably shower though. It’s been a long day.”

“I can do that in the morning,” Jun replied.

“And we have also been in the rain.”

“Then you take a shower,” Jun smirked, grabbing onto Daichi’s arm. “With me.”

“J-Jun!” Daichi blushed, the very thought of the idea made him embarrassed. He couldn’t understand how his boyfriend could say such things. “This is n-no time for crude behaviour…”

“Hey, just foolin’,” Jun chuckled, proud to embarrass his partner. But not before grabbing his smartphone to take a quick snapshot of his boyfriend's cute, blushing face. "Perfect."

And off to the shower he went.


	5. Chapter 5

Daichi and Jun passed out onto their bed after the shower, exhausted from the long day. Luckily for Jun, he had no scheduled duels in the day’s tournament, so he allowed himself to sleep in. However, wanting to catch some matches later, the Pro Duelist set up an alarm on his phone (he had two: cellphone for work, and smartphone for leisure) for the late morning. As the alarm went off, Jun woke up with a loud yawn, moving his arms to grab onto his boyfriend, who was not in bed.

“Hm?” whined Jun, unable to feel his love, disappointed. He rubbed his eyes to figure out the mystery of the missing boyfriend, only to see him on the nearby lounge focused on the hotel room’s television. Yawning, Jun stretched his arms and left the bed.

Daichi on the other hand was wide awake, fully dressed in daytime clothes. He was fully focused on the television he had turned on, troubled with the contents it displayed. It was difficult to take in what he saw, hearing hurtful words over and over...However, he as he heard footsteps approaching, Daichi quickly changed channels before being greeted by his boyfriend plopping down next to him.

“Hey, Dai…chi…” mumbled Jun as he snuggled next to Daichi. In his sleepy mode, the duelist was rather affectionate, if a good night’s rest was had.

“Good morning, my love…~”

Jun flickered his eyes as he groaned, too tired to argue over cute words. He did notice however, the television and Daichi’s choice of channels. “…You’re watching Spongebob Squarepants?”

“Hm?” The intellect didn’t actually notice beforehand what channel he chose. “Nothing wrong with that is there? Why, he even sounds like you.”

“What? Spongebob doesn’t sound like me!” Jun looked at the television, focused on the titular character selling colourful hamburgers with his sea-star friend. _‘Oh my God, he does sound like me…’_ he thought, but Daichi could tell by the horror on his face that he was right.

“See? You two sound alike.”

“No, we don’t!” Jun growled, grabbing onto Daichi’s shoulders to pin him down on the couch, making the older man laugh. He didn’t wish to retaliate, but instead looked up at his beloved eyes, sighing.

“You’re adorable, Jun…”

“Shh,” said Jun as he realised his grip to move himself comfortably onto Daichi, hugging him. _“You’re_ adorable.”

“Hey…” Daichi blushed, those compliments would make him pink every time. “I am not…”

“You are, accept it. Manjoume Thunder never lies…”

Their faces began to touch, no kissing but, just a soft gentle touch as the two snuggled onto the lounge.

“Today’s duels start in a few hours, my dear,” spoke Daichi, taking every chance he can to compliment his boyfriend. “You haven’t even eaten yet.”

“Can’t I just stay here…”

“That is incredibly unlike you, Jun. Have you perhaps, fallen too in love with me?”

“I’m comfortable,” Jun hummed. “And you’re comfy to cuddle with.”

As much as Daichi loved their times together, he knew when they had to end. While holding onto Jun, he stood up, placing the Pro on his feet. “I won’t be happy if you don’t eat your breakfast.”

“You care too much…” Jun yawned.

“I’m your boyfriend. It is my job to care about you.”

As Jun departed to the kitchen, Daichi soon followed, only to not consider one of many variables of not surveying his surrounding- Stepping on the remote control.

The station changed back to what Daichi had been previously watching, a morning news report on Manjoume Thunder.

And about his love life.

With a _'mysterious man'_.

Daichi quietly spoke a “Dammit” before quickly grabbing the television remote control, but it was too late. Jun froze upon hearing his name on the screen and turned around, witnessing in horror that one of his fears had come true. Granted, Jun did seem to get over his fears the night before, but the media reminded him quickly of how harsh people can be…As times changed, humanity wasn’t afraid to show it’s dark side, and badmouthing a young celebrity’s sexuality was no exception.They were all buzzwords, really. But it still hurt the two men’s ears. Claims of keeping secrets among the public, how scandalous it was to kiss another man, if the partnership was exclusively for adultery…It was all wrong, and both Daichi and Jun knew it. There was nothing wrong with them dating.

Jun’s breathing was, while not too heavy, noticeable by Daichi, who quickly turned the television off. “Jun, don’t listen to them…” spoke the male as he approached his boyfriend, placing a hand on Jun’s shoulder. This was quickly pulled away however, as comfort was not on Jun’s mind.

“This is all your fault!” Jun yelled, his mood quickly switching from content to anger. “If you didn’t start smooching me in the park, none of this would’ve happened!”

Daichi blinked, quickly taking in Jun’s words. “Y-You kissed me!” he replied. “Blasphemous bad-mouthing shouldn’t trouble you anyway, you seemed perfectly fine last night in the park!”

“You and your stupid lovey-dovey words and concerns for inclusion in my life. _‘Oh no, Jun doesn’t want us to be publicly known I wonder why_ ’ bullshit thinking!”

“Well, I’m sorry wanting to be in my boyfriend’s life!”

‘What, you’re gonna apologise for endangering my life, too?!”

“Wh-How am I a danger?? For dating you? You’re being ridiculous, Jun! It’s neither our fault that the world is like this!”

“….”

“It’s not…our fault…”

For a moment, Jun just stood there, recollecting his thoughts. He ran his hands through his messy hair, gripping onto his scalp and groaning before letting go. Calming down, Jun took a few steps towards Daichi, placing his head against the intellect’s shoulder as he stood.

“You’re right,” Jun sighed, knowing his argument was pointless to continue. “It’s other people’s fault for being bigots…”

Daichi looked at his boyfriend, surprised that his yelling ended so soon, but content with the quieter environment. Placing his left hand to softly brush against Jun’s hair and using his right hand to hold him, Daichi nuzzled into his boyfriend’s neck. “Exactly,” Daichi whispered. “They refuse to see how innocent things such as our love can be positive just because they refuse to believe it. There is nothing erroneous about our relationship.”

“I know that,” Jun mumbled. “I’ve always known that…What we discussed last night, that guilt I feel sometimes…It’s stupid, I know.”

“The human psyche focuses on negative experiences more than positive for defense,” Daichi held onto Jun tighter, giving a soft kiss onto his boyfriend’s neck. “And surrounding stigma enforces those hurtful experiences, causing confusion and conflict with one’s beliefs, even if they are innocent ones.”

“Again, I know that, I also went to school.” Jun raised his head, raising his brow at Daichi, who slightly moved his head to see his beloved. “But I get what you’re trying to say.”

Daichi moved his head back to kiss Jun’s neck, smiling. This caused Jun to giggle, with Daichi found absolutely adorable and only encouraged his kissing. Jun’s laughter only grew louder, unable to resist the ticklish sensation.

“No, Daichi…!” he continued to laugh. “Don’t make me tackle you…”

“You can hardly do that…” Daichi whispered, giving small chuckles as he kissed. “You’re light as a feather, and I am physically much stronger and heavier than you.”

“I pushed you earlier…~”

“That was unexpected though. I have a perfect hold of you now, it would be unwise to try and overtake me.”

“Heh, Manjoume Thunder never backs down from a challenge.”

“Oh?”

Suddenly, Jun used his free hands to move up Daichi’s chest, pausing his right hand. His left hand moved to Daichi’s face, but Jun’s actions were too slow as Daichi quickly grabbed onto Jun’s hands, ceasing his affectionate actions, only to spin him around and hold him below him, as if preventing him from falling on his back.

“Nice try, Jun…~”

“You…”

“Me?”

“Yes, you…” Jun smiled up at Daichi, who returned with a soft smirk. “Let go.”

“That’s unwise, my dear,” Daichi replied. “You want to fall to the ground?”

“Oh, you know what I mean!”

Daichi nodded, and lifted Jun back up to place him on his feet once more. Jun rolled his eyes as he smiled, simply calling the other a ‘dork’ before placing himself back onto the hotel lounge. Returning his focus to the television, the Pro Duelist was greeted with words of his relationship once more, which he focused on. Daichi sat down next to him, curious as to why his boyfriend would want to hear hurtful words again.

“You don’t have to listen to them,” spoke Daichi as he reached for Jun’s hand, holding it gently.

“Oh, but I want to,” Jun replied, focusing on the screen. “I’ll take all of their words and turn them into rubble. Crush them like ants.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

“What I mean is, that I’ll debunk all of their silly lies they’re making with honest truths. It’s what Edo Phoenix did when he came out as transgender.”

Daichi blinked, that was news to him. “Ah, I was unaware…”

“Right, it happened before you returned to this world. No one bothers him about it anymore, so it’s good to know these sort of things eventually end. Edo _is_ more popular than Manjoume Thunder, though.”

“But like Edo does, you have fans,” reassured Daichi, moving his thumb softly across his boyfriend’s hand. “There’s a 99% chance that they still love Manjoume Thunder.”

Jun smiled with confidence. He wasn’t going to allow any more bad news upset him anymore. In fact, he had an idea. “Daichi, can you do me a huge favour?”

“Anything, my dear.”

“Go downstairs and see if there’s reporters and camera crew outside the hotel.”

“This hotel has been reserved for duelists chosen to participate in the current tournament, Jun. Of course there would be interviewers outside.”

“Go check anyway!”

“Alright…” As Daichi removed himself from the lounge and headed towards the door, he turned around. “As long as you eat your breakfast.”

“The café is downstairs, past the reception...I’m still in my PJ’s…?” Jun gestured to himself, showing that not only was he in pyjamas, but also that his hair was an absolute mess.

“FINE, I’ll grab something for you.” And with that, Daichi left.

…

It wasn’t too long before Daichi’s return. He entered the hotel room with a tray of lovely breakfast food, placing it down on the room’s kitchen table. He looked around, noticing that Jun had moved. He checked a few of the rooms before finding his boyfriend in the bathroom, who was carefully putting his eyeliner on.

“Ah, there you are, Jun,” Daichi greeted with an anxious smile. “About-“

“Grgaaaah!!”

“Ah, Jun!”

Oh, the horror. The absolute horror of it all. It was the worst thing that could happen to Jun Manjoume in the morning, worse than what happened earlier on.

“What the hell, Daichi?! You scared me!” shouted the young man, who unfortunately messed up make-up, dragging eyeliner across his face due to the sudden greeting. “And now look, you messed up my face!”

“I’m sorry…,” Daichi replied, sighing. “Let me help you clean up.” He looked through Jun’s makeup bag to find cotton balls and makeup remover. “Look towards me.”

“Hmhm…” Jun complied, grumbling.

“My suggestion would be have your breakfast before putting makeup on, Jun,” Daichi began to clean up Jun’s little mishap on his face, while gently holding his face to make necessary adjustments. “You can be a bit messy while you eat…”

“Whatever…”

“You need to eat, Jun! I even brought up breakfast for you, like you asked.”

“Alright! I’ll eat when you’re finished…”

When Daichi finished cleaning up his boyfriend’s makeup, he tussled Jun’s hair, who groaned in response. “Hey, I just brushed that…”

“You should wash your face and then eat breakfast.”

“What are you, my maid?”

“I prefer the term, _‘boyfriend,”_ Daichi smiled as he left Jun to wash up.

...

“So, as soon as the media saw my face, they grew excited. Must’ve easily recognised me from those photographs that were displayed on the news. Fortunate that this hotel doesn’t allow visitors at this hour.”

“Simply the first step of becoming a celebrity, Daichi.”

“Oh, I don’t wish to go that far…”

Jun lifted his head to look at Daichi with raised brows, food stuff in his mouth. “You don’t want to be famous?”

“I mean,” Daichi rested his head onto his hand, sitting down at the table with Jun. “By these matters, I would just be seen as Manjoume Thunder’s partner, not having my own name to refer by.”

“You confuse me so much.”

“Whatever do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t this what you wanted? To be known?”

“Yes and no,” Daichi watched his boyfriend, glad he was eating. “I simply didn’t want exclusion from your lifestyle. This is the most we’ve decided to hang out during your work ever since we started dating. I was worried that our secrecy would shun me away from your life.”

“Right, of course…” Jun munched away at his meal, almost finishing the entire tray. “You want to be named for your own studies.”

“Yes,” Daichi replied. “As I am a scientist, after all.”

“A really handsome one, in fact,” Jun replied as he finished breakfast, smirking at his now-blushing boyfriend.

“M-Moving on,” Daichi scratched his face, accepting the compliment while still feeling embarrassed about it. “Why did you want to see if there were reporters outside?”

“To help fill their role, of course.” Jun stood up as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, grinning with determination. “We’re going to give them an interview.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taiki Matsuno voices Manjoume and Spongebob, fun fact! And...A friend of mine drew fanart of this fic!!! I'm so happy!! Jayce if you read this, I love you!! :D
> 
> Also, as I continue this story, comments are much appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Heading towards the bathroom to redo his makeup, Jun hummed gleefully as Daichi followed him. “Oh, you wanna freshen up too for the cameras?” Jun asked, giving his boyfriend a cute wink.

Daichi chuckled at the cute action, but shook his head. “I actually wondered if you needed help with your makeup,” he asked. “Don’t you usually have personal makeup artists?”

“Yes, but they don’t need to be around me all the time, I can take care of myself.” Jun did like to look glamourous for his duels, but his days off required less facial work. “Besides, my manager doesn’t even know we’re…Oh God.” He quickly ran out of the bathroom and to his bedroom, checking his work cell-phone that he hadn’t touched since last night. “How did I miss 20 calls?!” he shouted, quickly returning one of the calls.

As Daichi left Jun to his own device, he looked down at the makeup bag. It wasn’t a bad idea to try and look nice for the people watching…his friends and family could see, after all. “I hope he doesn’t mind…” he commented to himself, as quickly made sure his hair was out of the way, neat and tidy, before having a look at his belongings. He was caught in the act however, as Jun returned quickly with a _CLACK!_ from his cellphone.

“Hey! Get outta there!” Jun shouted, attempting to push Daichi away, but he didn’t budge. He raised his hands as he chuckled at his beloved’s shove.

“I apologise, Jun. I don’t typically carry makeup 24/7 like you do, so I was hoping…”

“What? Daichi, you wear makeup?”

“Occasionally…I like to look nice too, you know.”

“Pfft, you don’t even need makeup for that.” Jun raised his brow as he folded his arms, smirking at his compliment. “You always look so good. Except when you’re tired from work and on five cups of coffee. You look like a zombie.”

Daichi rolled his eyes at both the compliment and the snark. “Hence why I would need to cover up any signs of tiredness or stress for work. Besides, I could say the same thing about you.”

“What, looking like a zombie?”

“No, about having to look _gorgeous_ without makeup on.”

Oh God. That word. One of Jun’s many weaknesses. It was endearing but also _embarrassing..._ He blushed as he looked away, pouting. “Hmph, whatever…” he remarked. “Still gotta look great for the fans, though. So, buzz off and let me put on my makeup.”

Daichi stood back, allowing for Jun to access the bathroom sink. “May I offer assistance, then?”

“Huh? Didn’t I say I can take care of myself?”

“Mm…, I just thought…” He thought it sounded silly, but Daichi truly just wanted to get closer with Jun, and doing each other’s makeup was one of the few steps he’d take. “I had just theorised that assisting your partner carefully prepare themselves for a big day out was, well, romantic.” He laughed nervously, it had only been a few months since the two began dating, and being in his second relationship, the intellect was still calculating perfect dates, behaviours and ideas for the two.

“…Sure, then.” Jun smiled, blushing at the cute idea. He loved it, being a sucker for anything deemed romantic. He was also glad to know his own boyfriend knew a thing or two about makeup. “As long as I can do yours as well. I always bring several types for people’s skin because good God I know how much of a nightmare it can be to forget your own makeup. ”

“Oh,” Daichi appreciated that. “Absolutely.”

The two retrieved a chair from the dining table to place in the bathroom, which Jun placed himself on. Grabbing his boyfriend’s makeup tools, Daichi started his work.

“So,” Daichi spoke up as he gently placed a sponge onto Jun’s face to start. “What did Miss Manager call about?”

“Oh, she was calling about the news reports,” Jun replied. “Worried about what she would want us to do. But I told her that I had everything under control, and that I won’t need to bodyguards or for her to make any deals with the media. I’m not that sort of person, Manjoume Thunder is an honest man and duelist.”

“Bodyguards…?” Daichi shook his head immediately after the reply. Right, he was a celebrity after all. “You are very honest. Strong too, unlike the sore loser I originally met.”

“Wow, harsh.”

“Hey, I’m an honest man too, Jun. I am simply reflecting on your growth as a man and a duelist.” The beginning touching were done, now was time for the brush and blush. “But you don’t need me to tell you how much you’ve improved.”

“Yeah, I know my own strengths~.” Jun smiled shortly, before developing it into a smirk. “Honest man, huh? You?”

“Yes,” Daichi replied, smiling as he continued his work carefully as Jun kept moving his mouth. “Do you doubt my sincerity?”

“I mean, you always deny that you crush on Duel Monsters…”

Jun’s comment caused Daichi to freeze his actions with a weird mix of a squeak and a whine, face filling with pink embarrassment. “I-I do not crush on Duel Monsters!”

The Pro smirked, this was too good for him. “Familiar-Possessed Hiita.”

Daichi’s eyes widened at the mention of one of his _‘card crushes’_ , stuttering his words. “I-I like how her familiar is Fox Fire, that’s all!”

“Is that even Fox Fire, though? Looks different than its card.”

“Yes, but Hiita The Fire Charmer’s familiar is Fox Fire, and Familiar-Possessed Hiita is an evolved form of Fire Charmer, so the same can be said for Fox Fire.” He paused…this was not making him look good in this situation at all. “I-I met her in my time away restoring the dimensions…” Phew, that was a quick save. “So I know this.”

“Sure, sure…” Jun knew of the dimensions where Duel Monsters lived, he had been there before. Daichi could have been telling the truth, but Jun just decided to tease him more. “What about…Swordsman of Doom Litmus?”

“I beg your pardon?!”

“Come on, I’ve seen the way you look at that card!”

“With admiration…? Jun, I do not have time for silly things like card crushes!” Daichi pouted, it was all so embarrassing. He hated the concept of a card crush as a young teenager, but began to slowly develop some unwanted feelings for a few cards he owned and witnessed in duels. And due to the embarrassment, there was no way he would ever admit on crushing on a card, especially when he knows of Duel Spirits. Daichi took a breath as he calmed down, returning his smile from before as he continued applying his boyfriend’s makeup. “Hmph. Why would I ever focus on a Duel Monster when I have you, my love…?”

Now it was _Jun’s_ turn to freeze and whine, only his were with mixed with grumbles. While he had a love for romance, it was so easy to embarrass him with cute words. _‘Ugh, why must he be so cute….?!’_ thought the duelist as he pouted, looking at his boyfriend. All this teasing made Jun realised that their time was being wasted, so wanting to get his makeup done was the perfect distraction. “D-Daichi, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Oh, right! My apologies.” Daichi continued his work on Manjoume’s face, before quickly sneaking in a cheeky comment. “I do not mind that my boyfriend crushes on cards, though…~”

“WHAT.”

“You heard me.” Daichi pulled away, finishing with the blush. He knew that Jun was going to deny his claim, so he didn’t want to risk any facial mistakes. “Black Luster Soldier is a common card crush, so you don’t need to be embarrassed.” He smirked, but also stepped back, expecting to face Jun’s wrath.

“Y-You…!” Jun stood up and growled at his smiling boyfriend, ready to chase him around the hotel room. “I don’t have a crush on Black Luster Soldier, you…!” He lied, but it’s not like he was going to admit a crush on the legendary card, a fan-favourite among Yugi Muto, The King of Games’ deck.

“Wait, Jun! Don’t stress your face too much, I haven’t finished your makeup yet!”

“You…cheeky bastard…” Jun growled, only to return to his chair, awaiting Daichi to continue his work.

Daichi’s smirk returned to a smile as he returned to his station. “Would you like mascara on today, Jun?”

“Hmm, not today…” Jun replied, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, glad the teasing towards him was over. He was pretty content with Daichi’s work, but it was just the basics to him. “Oh, but there’s this lovely indigo eye shadow I’ve always wanted to try…”

After a short while, Daichi was finished with Jun’s makeup. He smiled at his boyfriend, pleased with his work with a “Finished!", and grabbed Jun's shoulders to face the bathroom mirror before him.

Jun couldn’t believe it. The very first time that Daichi had applied makeup on him and it was…flawless. True, his skin was basically perfect (but you can never be too careful as a celebrity), but with his blush complimented by his indigo eyeshadow, perfect eyeliner and shiny blue lip gloss, Jun was amazed. “Damn, great job, Daichi!” Jun smiled as he admired his face. “I look _good!”_

“You do…” Daichi sighed lovingly as he looked at his boyfriend, smitten. “I want to kiss you…”

“Well, that is going to have to wait until later,” Jun replied, waving his index finger at his boyfriend, disapproving of any kisses for the time being.

“Oh, dear…” Daichi looked at the moving hand, only to hold it gently, noticing the black-painted nails. “I can fix these too, if you like.” As he spoke the offer, Daichi placed a soft kiss onto Jun’s hand.

“You’re cute,” Jun slowly pulled his hand away, trying to save his romantic affections for later. “But please, be my guest.”

…

The two men were ready to head out of the hotel room, dressed up for a big day ahead of them. Deciding to make a change of clothes (pants, jackets and undershirts), Jun wore mostly blue with some purple, with Daichi wearing simple green and grey. The makeup Daichi wore was not heavy nor light, but still noticeable with light green eye-shadow and thin, but neat, eyeliner. Jun’s updated nails were now shining with black, and Daichi’s; a dark-blue grey. Their hair was neat and tidy, and they held onto bags to help with their day of watching duels…

After, of course…

“Are you prepared for this, Jun?” Daichi asked as he opened the room door, preparing to go downstairs to meet strangers with cameras.

“I should be asking _you_ that, Daichi,” Jun remarked, patting his side to make sure his Duel Monster deck was intact. He may not be dueling that day, but a duelist never leaves without a deck. “This is television. Radio. Magazines. The internet. You ready for that sort of publicity?”

“All I ever wanted in life was recognition when I was younger…While things changed, I think this would be nice.” He held onto Jun’s hand, fingers intertwined. “I am worried about you, though. With your previous concerns, I...-”

“Hey, if people are dicks, people are dicks.” Jun and Daichi began to head out the door, locking the room behind them. “Manjoume Thunder always fights back, always crawls back to the top. And if they decide to mess with The Thunder, they’ve got a storm coming.”

They took the empty elevator to head down, which luckily wasn’t stopping until the final floor. As they awaited the end of the elevator’s escalation, Daichi spoke softly next to his boyfriend. “1, 10, 100, 1000…”

Jun smirked back at Daichi, folding his arms before the elevator door’s opened. “Manjoume Thunder...”

After the joint chanting of Jun’s duelist catchphrase, the two stepped outside to see the media eagerly awaiting outside, however distanced from the hotel’s entrance.

“Security must’ve told them to piss off,” Jun spoke has he removed his grip from Daichi’s hand to stretch his arms. “Ready?”

Daichi nodded. “Ready.”

As soon as the two exited the hotel, they casually walked out of the hotel’s area, awaiting for the several members of different media to notice them. Cameramen, reporters from television and magazines, radio interviewers and internet bloggers began to swarm around the couple, chattering away multiple questions a million miles a minute, accompanied by flashing of cameras. While Jun stood there smirking with confidence, this was a whole new experience for Daichi. He figured that the media would have demands, but being surrounded in a rush made him a bit anxious. Jun looked at him quickly, mouthing a “don’t worry,” before returning to the media.

“Manjoume Thunder,” questioned one of the reporters. “Tell us about your relationship with this man here!”

“Mr. Manjoume, Mr. Manjoume!” asked another. “Are you aware of the risks of being gay?”

“What do your fans think of you?”

“How will this affect your dueling career?”

“Did your brothers know you were gay?!”

Jun sighed as he continued to smile, keeping calm in his confidence. “I can answer your questions, if you all slow down. One at a time, please.” He swore these questions sounded identical to what Edo Phoenix had been asked when revealing he was transgender. ‘ _Common bait, I guess…’_ He gestured his hand at a reporter who was eager to ask a million questions, but Jun raised his index finger. “One question at a time. You?”

The reporter held his microphone, between himself at the celebrity duelist. “How long have you’ve been dating this man? How long have you known him?”

“I did say one question, remember?” Jun replied as the reporter offered the microphone under his breath. “We’ve been dating for a while now, roughly around four months. Next person.”

Another reported pushed her way in for an interview, making sure her cameraman got a good shot. “Manjoume Jun, being a gay celebrity has its cons. Are you not worried about how others think of you? Your fans? Your brothers?”

“Must I repeat myself…? I said one question but, firstly. I’m not worried. True fans of Manjoume Thunder are perfectly fine with who I am.” This was, somewhat a lie, as Jun had yet to found out his fans thoughts, whether online or in public. “And I’m not gay, I’m bisexual.”

This caused everyone quiet down after some gasps, only to push towards Jun and Daichi again, wanting to ask more questions.

“Is he your first boyfriend? Have you dated other men before??”

“How are you not sure that this is some weird phase? No one has ever seen you with a girlfriend before!”

“Does this mean you have multiple partners?!”

 _‘They clearly don’t understand what being bi means…’_ Jun thought as he glanced at Daichi, noticing that he was feeling out of place. ' _Left out…?'_ Jun had an idea.

“Being bisexual just means I find myself attracted to both men and women. And right now, as you can see, I am dating a man. This doesn’t mean I would only date men though.”

“So you’re in an open relationship then??” asked one of the reporters.

“What, no! I-I mean, I am not. I am only dating…” Jun looked at Daichi, he returned a glance with a tilted head. “Well, go on,” Jun said to Daichi, grabbing his arm towards the reporters. “Introduce yourself.”

Seeing the men make physical contact, the reporters shuffled in even further, now flashing their cameras and pushing their microphones under Daichi’s face, who was flustered from the closeness. Quickly looking back at his boyfriend, who wrapped both arms around the intellect’s left, he sighed with a smile, ready to face the cameras with full confidence. Clearing his throat, Daichi took another breath.

“I’m Misawa Daichi. Pleased to meet you.”

Lots of cameras greeted Daichi’s face, lights and all, making him wince a little. _‘Perhaps I should’ve prepared myself more for such publicity…_ ’ His thoughts were interrupted however by a bombardment of questions.

“Mr. Misawa! When did you and Thunder meet?”

“Are you gay or also bisexual?”

“Are you a duelist as well? What’s your career?”

Daichi blinked as he quickly whispered to Jun, who was now resting against Bastion’s left. “Why are they solely focusing on me now...?”

Jun shrugged as he rested his head among Daichi’s shoulder, worth snapshot after snapshot. “Fresh meat, I suppose...”

“H-How much am I allowed to say…?”

“As long as it doesn’t get too personal for both of us, then it should be fine...”

“Right.” Daichi cleared his throat again, yet again being presented with questions. He did his best to answer them all in proper casual manner. “Manjoume and I met each other in Duel Academia in our first year…I was initially Ra Yellow…I’m bisexual as well, I think…Well, by that I mean…Can we move onto the next question? I am a duelist yes, but I am a scientist and work full-time currently. I took my time off for now to spend time with Manjoume. Oh, um, I’m 23…”

The questions just kept coming in for Daichi and Daichi only, which Jun easily noticed, causing him to grumble. The Pro was growing somewhat jealous that his boyfriend got more attention than he did, but Jun acknowledged that this was what Daichi wanted. Or at least that's what he thought.

The questions grew personal, causing Daichi to step back, almost defensively. Jun removed his hug from Daichi’s arm, gritting his teeth at the questions he heard. Jun knew coming out in public would result in some gross comments and questions, but asking private things about their love-life was getting out of hand.

“Mind keeping the personal questions out of the interview?” Jun commented, folding his arms in contempt for the reporters. “We do not wish to address those matters if we don’t want to.”

This didn’t stop the media however, who just kept pushing and shoving for more answers. While Jun was able to handle crowds, he was unaware of Daichi’s breathing, which he was forcefully trying to control. As he looked at those staring at him, he reached for Jun’s hand, trying to find it without looking away at faces and screens monitoring him. Jun looked down as he saw the reaching hand, grabbing it tightly. Narrowing his eyes, Jun raised his voice at the media before him.

“I wish to end this interview. It’s my day off, so I would like to spend the day _off.”_

The stern voice from the Pro’s mouth caused the media to back away, making room for the two to walk away. Despite their urge to ask more questions about the celebrity’s relationship, they saw him as a Manjoume, someone who had connections with The Manjoume Group. This however, didn’t stop them from following with cameras, still taking risks to gather as much footage of a celebrity as possible. Like paparazzi.

Jun was quick to hail a taxi, allowing him and Daichi to escape from the press with ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see Misawa have an anxiety attack in canon I get to decide he has anxiety.


End file.
